


Innovation

by teamwhirlz



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Cyberverse
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamwhirlz/pseuds/teamwhirlz
Summary: With the war at an end, Soundwave is in the process of planning his newest design concept.(written for Soundwave Week 2020, day 4 - Cassettes.)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34
Collections: Soundwave Week 2020





	Innovation

Soundwave sits at his makeshift work-bench, equipment and tools organized to his left and right, and the screen in front of him displays scrolling blueprints. His personal quarters isn't much at the moment, but it's significantly better than spending his down-time outside in the company of others. Not that he necessarily dislikes socializing, but working on a personal project is more favorable without an audience of passerbys or curious acquaintances.

Adjusting to this new post-war life still proves to be a challenge, understandably. Fortunately, the temporary alliance during the Quintesson invasion - one he admittedly tried to resist out of arrogant distrust - served as his starting point and that proves to be an advantage, he muses. His fellow Decepticons all surprisingly seem to be settling into the new dynamic more smoothly than expected. Soundwave figures it shouldn't be much of a surprise though, considering many mechs share pre-war history together. He hasn't forgotten the last attempt at a parley between Optimus Prime and Megatron either, when the few Decepticons present eventually dialed back their aggression toward their sworn enemies at the time. Shockwave and himself were the exceptions at the time, however.

Although he'd never admit it to anyone else, Soundwave feels a small sliver of nostalgia for Earth. He never thought much of humans and still doesn't, but regardless, his position as chief communications officer saw to it that he at the very least investigated and studied their methods of communication. Which proved to be very inefficient, slow, and clumsy when compared to the likes of Cybertronian tech. Despite that, he couldn't lie to himself that he had never genuinely been intrigued by a few aspects of Earth.

The most interesting one, the reason he's here now with a half-finished contraption in his hand, is human music. Specializing in sound - and utilizing it in combat - only proves why Soundwave finds himself drawn to it. Organic music had differing elements from Cybertronian music, but to his surprise, they share similarities as well. In the privacy of his own mind, Soundwave can appreciate it. Taking advantage of his knowledge in encrypting and hiding data, he went so far to even conceal his own small collection of files related to his interest on his own hard-drive aboard the _Nemesis_. Off-duty rotation and recharge hours were spent with countless melodies and songs filling his cozy, thankfully soundproof quarters. It was vital in providing a temporary distraction and aid for the well-being of his mood.

Music is a comfort to Soundwave. Even long before his nights of charming the audience in Maccadam's, Soundwave has always loved to listen while comfortably alone, study every note, every rise and fall of both tempo and volume, the choice of instruments, the musical composition itself, and everything in between. Soon after, he progressed to recording his personal favorite pieces with his own modified audio storage system. He would experiment with clipping them, syncing said clips together, adjusting tempo and cues. He loved it, still does, and always will.

Soundwave doesn't even realize he's smiling behind his face-mask as he looks down at the incomplete cassette replica in his hand, naturally a replica scaled to Cybertronian size. The cassette is considered obsolete even by its short-lived organic creator's standards, which disappoints him. Observing cassettes record music, how they work, and placed into a device that plays back said recorded sounds appeals to Soundwave greatly. Not as sophisticated as the later introduced compact disc or digitally generated audio, but nonetheless Soundwave likes the cassette the best. 'Unorthodox' rings his mind, in Shockwave's tone. He dismisses that fleeting thought immediately.

Over time, Soundwave took into account of his own chassis's storage unit. Laserbeak's compact alt mode already resembles a cassette, or perhaps only now it does after he's spent the last few cycles ruminating on the subject. At first, this line of thinking seems a bit foolish to him. He reasons that it's a result of the post-war atmosphere, and no longer having the seemingly everlasting goal of 'defeat the Autobots', his processor is left grasping for any minuscule matter that will distract or direct him. After everything they've been through, especially the Quintesson occupation, Soundwave's finally allowed himself to indulge. With a few minor modifications to his chassis and Laserbeak's storage mode, he's more than confident that he can alter them both to imitate the insignificant pieces of organic tech that he's come to treasure. A cassette, and its complementing playback dock.

"Laserbeak, eject." ah, a parallel to the tape deck's eject button. Clearly, another point in the column of why Soundwave should continue this task.

The mechanical avian exits his chassis on cue, flying a lap around the small room before settling to perch on a shelf nearby.

"I have an idea for an upgrade to your alt-mode. Would you like to see?" Soundwave is always respectful of his charge's consent, visor brightening when Laserbeak squawks an approval.

He reaches to plug Laserbeak directly into the modem, preferring to receive accurate feedback from the bird's system in full. That way, he'll know for sure what modifications need to be made to the blueprint and physical replica. The unfinished model in his hand will serve as Laserbeak's target to scan and then modify. Soundwave wouldn't dare run a first-time trial on Laserbeak's actual frame. He didn't want to risk any complications, down to the slightest discomfort.

It's odd in a way, to be genuinely excited for a project of his own that would be considered trivial and further written off as non-essential in a time of war. Soundwave vents a contented sigh. Despite the residual war-time regulations that echo in the back of his mind, Soundwave resigns to do what he's always done.

Look forward, hold his head high, and stand by his decisions.

Soundwave smiles to himself again. Yes, recreating obsolete human-tech for his own use is an acceptable manner of adapting to a new direction in life. The fact it's a non-combatant grade modification is enough reason for him to personally categorize it as a positive contribution to Cybertron's new life ahead.

In fact, he regards it as his most innovative idea in millennia.


End file.
